Is It The Time For Optimism?

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Diane Levine-Wilson

It’s that time again. The NBAA Convention is just around the corner. As we gear up to face our industry brethren this year, we have a lot on our minds. Of course the 800 lb. gorilla in the room is the overall state of the economy that is having an impact on our industry. Then we have all heard that two major manufacturers won’t be exhibiting on the convention floor, yet they will be present at the static display. We have also taken a hit in the press who continue to vilify our industry by calling business aircraft use a luxury of the corporate potentates rather than a useful tool for business. The difficulty of getting credit has been an issue for some buyers; although the banks do have money to lend, the lending process has changed. A lot of negative tremors have been shaking us out of our comfort zones. So let’s take a deep breath and try to be objective.

We are seeing some real reasons for optimism. JETNET, being the world leader in aviation market information, has been objectively tracking the jet and turbo prop market activity for 20 years, and more recently, helicopter market activity too. We can now report seeing the first “green shoots” of improving market indications. For the first time in a long time we saw a leveling off of aircraft coming onto the market. At the end of August 2009 we showed 17.442% of the jet aircraft fleet for sale, and 11.523% of the turbo-prop fleet. As of September 30, 2009 we are showing 17.105% of the jet fleet for sale, and 11.399% of the turbo-prop fleet. Although not a breathtaking decline in available used equipment, it is a positive indication. The other important number to look at is the total of full retail sales of pre-owned jets and turbo-props, which for the month of August 2009 was 192 units, then in September it rose to 210 units. This is a very significant number because sales have to improve in order to deplete the available inventory of used equipment. In addition average ask prices experienced a small increase of .8% from August to September.

What to do? In a recent survey that we conducted to take the pulse of the re-sale market, when we asked what the respondents have done to weather the economic downturn, 66% replied that they have reduced their overhead, and second to that, 39% reduced advertising expenditures. And unfortunately, 34% reported having to cut staff. Yet 19% added more products and services with 20% having increased their ad venues. The tactics used to weather the current market situation vary throughout the industry yet all are targeted to achieve long term survival. We at JETNET have invested in building infrastructure and developing new product and services.

The industry will recover. The need for aircraft and all the services attached to their sale and use will not disappear. The point is to make sure that you are poised to ride the recovery.

JETNET Announces Partnership with ARGUS For Enhanced Evolution

Posted on October 15, 2009 by JETNET

UTICA, NY – JETNET LLC, the market-leading aircraft research and information provider, will be launching a series of improvements to their flagship software interface, Evolution, at this year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention in Orlando, Florida. In addition to new features, they have announced a unique partnership with ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) to offer direct links to ARGUS data from JETNET’s Evolution service pages. This marks the first time ARGUS has allowed another information and research provider to link directly to their site. In return, JETNET shares its wealth of aircraft ownership and historical data with ARGUS customers through TraqPak. The new aircraft tail number searches, like other recent improvements to Evolution, will be offered free of charge to existing clients.

Tony Esposito, Vice President of JETNET, sees this as the perfect collaboration between complementary services. “Since we’re constantly adding to the world of intelligence our subscribers get every day, this kind of information was a natural extension,” says Esposito, referring to the 90-day flight histories ARGUS provides for any given tail number. “ARGUS already does the research. Making the information available to our subscribers was a no-brainer. And ARGUS can reach a much wider audience with Evolution as a kind of added portal. It’s an ideal synergy, and creates a richer, more productive experience for all of our clients.”

JETNET has made ARGUS service available as part of a series of new product extensions to their Evolution service. These include a new Text Messaging service and the addition of new summary “Views” which gather widespread model or market information into convenient tables, graphs and charts for easy viewing. None of the extensions will be an additional cost to subscribers. Continue reading →

JETNET To Offer New SMS Text Messaging Service For Evolution Customers

Posted on October 13, 2009 by JETNET

Lucia Frontera, JETNET’s Director of Research, is proud of the new features her firm is adding to their already popular Evolution product. “This is a necessity for users waiting for a specific make and model to be listed on the market for sale,” she says. “They now have a new tool at their disposal. Buy and sell decisions can be made with the most current and timely information. Our clients often want instantaneous access to information, and we’ve created a way for them to get it.”

David D. Cruger, JETNET’s Manager, Technical Operations, believes there is no faster way to get market information. “Evolution now allows users to sign up for market updates,” he says. “They’re broadcast directly to their cell phones as text messages, within moments of when they’re updated in our own database. Our researchers receive the information, and enter it into our information pool. That’s when it first becomes available as digital information. Evolution subscribers get the notice only moments later, and can act on it immediately. This is the most accurate and up-to-date information available anywhere, and you couldn’t get the information faster without researching it yourself.” Text messages are sent as informational updates only, without proprietary data—just notices, so subscribers can find details online at their convenience. An example text message:

CITATION XLS G-PKRG For Sale $7,595,000 Boardman Aviation, Ltd. 315-555-4321 Paul Boardman

The service allows users to select up to 10 makes and models on which to receive updates. Models can be added or removed from your list at any time. Continue reading →

JETNET To Launch New “Views” For Evolution At NBAA Convention

Posted on October 12, 2009 by JETNET

UTICA, NY – JETNET LLC, the market-leading aircraft research and information provider, will be launching a series of enhancements to their flagship software interface, Evolution, at this year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention in Orlando, Florida. The biggest change is a set of “Views,” or summary pages, that gather data points from throughout the Evolution program and compile these into single screens of well organized lists, graphs and tables for easy assessment of marketplace status and trends. Subscribers to JETNET’s service can choose from a variety of Views, depending on their industry profession and particular needs. JETNET subscribers will receive the Views package free of charge as an interface overlay to their existing Evolution service.

JETNET President Vincent Esposito believes the new features will further solidify his company’s position as a service leader in the field. “We asked our clients what they wanted most,” he says. “They answered, and the results are in our new services and features. We don’t believe in resting on our laurels. We never stop learning, getting smarter, and finding ways to know more than your competition. So we’ve come up with even more ways for our clients to use JETNET Evolution to stay one step ahead of theirs.”

The Views package complements the popular Evolution interface rather than replacing it. Existing JETNET clients should adapt easily to the new interface, with virtually nothing new to learn. JETNET is confident that the Views will greatly simplify their work as well. Where previously subscribers searched multiple modules of the Evolution interface to gather data on one aircraft or market, now all the relevant information is presented at a glance in the Model Market Summary View. Aircraft top-level information, market conditions, and history are all provided there and updated as often as once a minute, for Live service customers, via the JETNET web-based network. Links display an aircraft’s time on market, service history, photos, avionics, detailed specifications, financial documents and more, and select JETNET STAR—STatistical Analysis Reports—data tables are now included for in-depth presentation of market and fleet dynamics. “Our clients can make decisions more quickly and easily,” adds Esposito, “to get the edge they need in today’s marketplace.”
Continue reading →